Personalization system and method for a vehicle based on spatial locations of occupants&#39; body portions

ABSTRACT

A personalization system for a vehicle includes an image-capture device configured to capture a plurality of images of one or more occupants in the vehicle and control circuitry configured to estimate a plurality of Z-heights of a plurality of body portions of each of the one or more occupants from a reference position in the vehicle, based on the plurality of images captured from the image-capture device, determine an associative relationship between the plurality of Z-heights of the plurality of body portions of each of the one or more occupants in the vehicle and a plurality of in-vehicle systems, based on defined user-preferences, and control the plurality of in-vehicle systems to direct an output from a corresponding in-vehicle system to a specific body portion of each of the one or more occupants in the vehicle, based on the estimated plurality of Z-heights and the determined associative relationship.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present U.S. Utility Patent Application claims priority pursuant to35 U.S.C. § 119(e) to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/596,413,entitled “Personalization System and Method for a Vehicle Based onSpatial Locations of Occupants' Body Portions”, filed Dec. 8, 2017,which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety andmade part of the present U.S. Utility Patent Application for allpurposes.

TECHNICAL FIELD

Various embodiments of the disclosure relate to automotive technologies.More specifically, various embodiments of the disclosure relate topersonalizing vehicle systems to maximize the user experience and alsoefficiently use vehicle resources, including stored energy, based onspatial locations of vehicle occupants or portions of their.

BACKGROUND

Vehicle occupant experience and personalization is an important aspectfor creating a positive vehicle experience. Currently, vehiclepersonalization systems and technologies are limited to standard vehiclesettings or predefined customizations, where variations in physical bodydimensions of different occupants play a negligible role. For example,different occupants of a vehicle may have different physical body sizesor shapes. Therefore, when such different occupants are seated in thevehicle, standard settings or even preset user preferences for differentvehicular systems, e.g., climate control systems and in-vehicle audiosystems, may not be effectively tailored to each occupant or the currentsituation. Further, a change in one customized vehicle setting, forexample, a seat position, for one occupant may interfere with othersettings related to the different vehicular systems for the sameoccupant. This may hamper the overall in-vehicle comfort andentertainment experience for the occupant, for example, a driver.Further, even a customized setting for one occupant, for example, adriver, may not have no impact on other occupants or worse, may reducethe experience for other occupants in the vehicle. For example, if thedriver typically desires all of the speakers to be directed towards thedriver's ears to maximize sound quality, the passenger have a reducedexperience.

Besides impacting the user experience, resources may not be directed inan efficient manner. For example, in an electric vehicle, batteryresources may be used to control air temperature. Maximizing the comfortfelt by the vehicle occupants allows fewer resources to be used, therebydecreasing energy usage and increasing vehicle range. Thus, an advanced,intelligent, and an automatic real-time or near-real-timepersonalization system may be desired for vehicles for enhancedin-vehicle comfort and entertainment experience for one or more vehicleoccupants.

Further limitations and disadvantages of conventional and traditionalapproaches will become apparent to one of skill in the art, throughcomparison of described systems with some aspects of the presentdisclosure, as set forth in the remainder of the present application andwith reference to the drawings.

SUMMARY

A personalization system and method for a vehicle based on the spatiallocation of vehicle occupants or portions of their of body issubstantially shown in, and/or described in connection with, at leastone of the figures, as set forth more completely in the claims.

These and other features and advantages of the present disclosure may beappreciated from a review of the following detailed description of thepresent disclosure, along with the accompanying figures in which likereference numerals refer to like parts throughout.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram that illustrates a network environment forpersonalization system for a vehicle, in accordance with an embodimentof the disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram that illustrates various exemplary componentsor systems of a vehicle, in accordance with an embodiment of thedisclosure.

FIGS. 3A to 3F illustrate exemplary scenarios for implementation of thedisclosed personalization system and method for a vehicle based onspatial locations of body portions of occupants in the vehicle, inaccordance with an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIGS. 4A, 4B, 4C, and 4D collectively, depict a flow chart thatillustrates exemplary operations for personalization of a vehicle basedon spatial locations of body portions of occupants in the vehicle, inaccordance with an embodiment of the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following described implementations may be found in the disclosedpersonalization system and method for a vehicle based on spatiallocations of body portions of occupants in the vehicle. Exemplaryaspects of the disclosure may include a personalization system that mayinclude an image-capture device and circuitry in an in-vehicleelectronic device. The disclosed personalization system, for example,the in-vehicle electronic device, increases improves an overallin-vehicle comfort and entertainment experience for the vehicleoccupants. The personalization system provides an advanced, intelligent,and an automatic personalization of in-vehicle systems in real-time ornear-real time for enhanced and consistent in-vehicle comfort andentertainment experience, both before and during a drive.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram that illustrates a network environment forpersonalization system for a vehicle, in accordance with an embodimentof the disclosure. With reference to FIG. 1, there is shown an exemplarynetwork environment 100. The exemplary network environment 100 mayinclude a vehicle 102, a server 104, a medical emergency center 106, aroad side unit (RSU) 108, and a wireless communication network 110.

The vehicle 102 may include an image-capture device 112 and anin-vehicle electronic device 114. There is further shown a first user116A and a second user 116B associated with the vehicle 102. Theimage-capture device 112 may be installed in the interior of the vehicle102 to capture a plurality of images or a video of one or moreoccupants, such as the first user 116A and the second user 116B, in thevehicle 102. The in-vehicle electronic device 114 may refer to anin-vehicle infotainment (IVI) system or an electronic control unit (ECU)of the vehicle 102.

The vehicle 102 may be an autonomous vehicle or a semi-autonomousvehicle, for example, as defined by National Highway Traffic SafetyAdministration (NHTSA). In some embodiments, the vehicle 102 may be anon-autonomous vehicle. Examples of the vehicle 102 include, but are notlimited to, an electric vehicle, a hybrid vehicle, a gas-combustionvehicle, and/or a vehicle with autonomous drive capability that uses oneor more distinct renewable or non-renewable power sources. A vehiclethat uses renewable or non-renewable power sources may include a fossilfuel-based vehicle, an electric propulsion-based vehicle, a hydrogenfuel-based vehicle, a solar-powered vehicle, and/or a vehicle powered byother forms of alternative energy sources. There are a plurality ofdiffer categories or levels of vehicles of what is considered to besemi-autonomous and autonomous, for example the classification accordingto NHTSA. The personalization system and method of the presentdisclosure may be applied to the plurality of differ categories orlevels of vehicles that includes non-autonomous to fully-autonomousvehicles.

The server 104 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces,and/or code that may be configured to establish a communication channelwith one or more vehicles, such as the vehicle 102. The server 104 maybe configured to receive information, such as user profiles, fromvarious vehicles, such as the vehicle 102. The server 104 may be a cloudserver, a web server, a database server, a file server, an applicationserver, or a combination thereof. The server 104 may be implemented byuse of several technologies that are well known to those skilled in theart.

The medical emergency center 106 may refer to a service provider of anambulance or other specialized vehicles equipped to handle variousmedical emergencies. The medical emergency center 106 may have afacility, such as a server or a communication medium, to receive healthalert notifications or emergency notifications from external devices orvehicles, such as the vehicle 102. The medical emergency center 106 mayalso be associated with an emergency department of a hospital or medicalclinic that may have a facility, such as a server or a communicationmedium, to receive health alert notifications or emergency notificationsfrom registered external devices or vehicles, such as the vehicle 102.When the health alert notifications are received, the medical emergencycenter 106 may route the health alert to suitable department, doctors,and/or other personnel to make arrangements or initiate preparation forthe treatment of a patient, such as the first user 116A.

The road side unit (RSU) 108 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry,interfaces, and/or code that may be configured to communicate with thevehicle 102. The RSU 108 may communicate with the vehicle 102 via adedicated short-range communication (DSRC) channel or other short ormedium range wireless communication channel. The RSU 108 may alsocommunicate with the server 104 via the wireless communication network110. The RSU 108 may be configured to communicate (receive and/ortransmit) various types of information from/to a wireless communicationsystem of the vehicle 102.

The wireless communication network 110 may include a long rangecommunication medium through which one or more vehicles, such as thevehicle 102, may communicate with the server 104 or externalcommunication devices, such as the RSU 108, or registered mobiledevices. Examples of the wireless communication network 110 may include,but are not limited to, the Internet, Internet-based mobile ad hocnetworks (IMANET), a cellular network, such as a 3G, 4G, or 5G network,a cloud network, and/or a Wide Area Network (WAN). Various devices inthe network environment 100 may be configured to connect to the wirelesscommunication network 110, in accordance with various wirelesscommunication protocols. Examples of such wireless communicationprotocols may include, but are not limited to, IEEE 802.11, 802.11x,802.15, 802.16, 1609, Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access(Wi-MAX), Wireless Access in Vehicular Environments (WAVE), cellularcommunication protocols, Transmission Control Protocol and InternetProtocol (TCP/IP), User Datagram Protocol (UDP), Hypertext TransferProtocol (HTTP), LTE, File Transfer Protocol (FTP), ZigBee, EDGE, Li-Fi,and/or other wireless communication protocols.

The image-capture device 112 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry,interfaces, and/or code that may be configured to capture a plurality ofimages or a video of the one or more occupants, such as the first user116A and/or the second user 116B, in the vehicle 102. The image-capturedevice 112 is positioned in the interior of the vehicle 102 such that afield-of-view of the image-capture device 112 is suitable to captureself-portrait images that include at least a face portion of alloccupants (including driver and passengers) in the vehicle 102. Thus,the image-capture device 112 may also be referred to as a selfie camera.In some embodiments, the image-capture device 112 may be installed inthe vicinity of the front mirror of the vehicle 102, as shown, forexample, in FIG. 3A. Examples of the image-capture device 112 mayinclude, but are not limited to, an image sensor, a wide-angle camera,an action camera, a closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera, acamcorder, a time-of-flight camera (ToF camera), a night-vision camera,and/or other such in-vehicle cameras or sensors.

The in-vehicle electronic device 114 may comprise suitable logic,circuitry, interfaces, and/or code that may be configured to estimate aplurality of Z-heights of a plurality of body portions of each of theone or more occupants from a reference position in the vehicle 102. Theplurality of Z-heights may be estimated based on the plurality of imagescaptured from the image-capture device 112. The in-vehicle electronicdevice 114 may be configured to access sensor data from theimage-capture device 112, one or more vehicle sensors, and/or othervehicle data associated with the vehicle 102. The sensor data may beaccessed by the in-vehicle electronic device 114, via an in-vehiclenetwork, such as a vehicle area network (VAN) and/or in-vehicle databus, such as a controller area network (CAN) bus. In accordance with anembodiment, the in-vehicle electronic device 114 may be configured tocommunicate with various other vehicles in a vehicle-to-vehicle (e.g., aV2V) communication, external communication devices (such as the RSU 108)and/or a cloud server (such as the server 104) via the wirelesscommunication channel or via the wireless communication network 110.

In operation, a driver, such as the first user 116A, may open a vehicledoor to enter into the vehicle 102. The image-capture device 112 may beactivated when the vehicle door is opened. The image-capture device 112may be configured to capture at least one or more images or a video ofthe first user 116A. In some embodiments, the image-capture device 112may execute at least one or more face detection algorithms on thecaptured one or more images or the video to extract facial features foridentification of a user, such as the first user 116A. The image-capturedevice 112 may be configured to identify a driver profile associatedwith the first user 116A based on facial recognition of the first user116A. In some embodiments, instead of facial recognition, other useridentification methods, for example, human identification from a bodyshape based on human object boundary or silhouette matching, may beused. In some embodiments, the in-vehicle electronic device 114, forexample, an infotainment head unit or an ECU, may be configured toreceive the captured one or more images or the video of the first user116A from the image-capture device 112, via an in-vehicle network. Insuch a case, the in-vehicle electronic device 114 may be configured toprocess the captured one or more images or the video of the first user116A to identify the driver profile associated with the first user 116Abased on facial recognition of the first user 116A.

In cases where the first user 116A is identified based on facialrecognition, a profile associated with the identified first user 116Amay be searched in a user profile database stored in a memory device ofthe in-vehicle electronic device 114. In cases where the profileassociated with the identified first user 116A is found, the in-vehicleelectronic device 114 may be configured to communicate an audio signalto a vehicle audio system to output a customized audio greeting to thefirst user 116A. For example, the profile of first user 116A may be thedriver profile of “Fredrick”. The first user 116A may be notified ofrecognition confirmation with custom audio greeting, “Hello Fredrick”via at least one of the audio speakers of the vehicle audio system.

In accordance with an embodiment, the in-vehicle electronic device 114may be configured to execute a first level of customization in thevehicle 102 based on the defined user-preferences in the driver profileof the first user 116A. For example, the driver seat, vehicle mirrors(e.g. outer rear view mirrors (ORVMs), front mirror, and the like),heating, cooling, and driving mode preferences, may be adjusted inaccordance with the user preferences in the driver profile of the firstuser 116A. The in-vehicle electronic device 114 may be configured tocommunicate a plurality of control signals to one or more otherin-vehicle systems or ECUs to initiate the adjustments in accordancewith the user preferences in the driver profile of the first user 116A.

In cases where the first user 116A is not identified based on facialrecognition, the in-vehicle electronic device 114 may be configured tomark the first user 116A as a new user, and a request to set a profilemay be generated on a display of an infotainment head unit. In certainscenarios, a plurality of users, such as the first user 116A and thesecond user 116B, may board the vehicle 102 together for a ride. In suchscenarios, the in-vehicle electronic device 114 may be configured tocommunicate audio signals to the vehicle audio system to outputcustomized audio greetings for the plurality of users based on aconcurrent identification of the plurality of users. For example, inaddition to custom audio greeting to the first user 116A, the seconduser 116B may also be greeted as, “Hello Nick, good to see you after along time”, via an audio speaker that is in vicinity of the second user116B. The in-vehicle electronic device 114 may be configured to store atime or a day of boarding, a duration of a trip (or journey), a seatingposition for each identified user during each trip in the memory. Thein-vehicle electronic device 114 may be further configured to track andstore changes in seating position, user behavior, or body movement foreach identified user during each trip for later analysis. Thus, when thesecond user 116B is detected to board after a certain period of time,for example, 2-3 months based on the stored last day of boarding for thesecond user 116B, the custom audio greeting “Hello Nick, good to see youafter a long time” is generated accordingly for a humanized in-vehicleexperience.

In accordance with an embodiment, the in-vehicle electronic device 114may be configured to estimate a plurality of Z-heights of a plurality ofbody portions of each of the one or more occupants (e.g., the first user116A and the second user 116B). The plurality of Z-heights may beestimated from a reference position in the vehicle 102. Examples of theplurality of body portions for which the plurality of Z-heights areestimated, may include, but are not limited to a face portion, middleportion of a face from a left ear to a right ear, or other bodyportions. The plurality of Z-heights may be estimated based on theplurality of images captured by the image-capture device 112. Theestimation of the plurality of Z-heights from the reference position inthe vehicle 102, is described in detail, for example, in FIG. 3C. AZ-height of a body portion may correspond to a spatial location of thebody portion, such as an occupant's head or ears, of a vehicle occupantin the vehicle when the user is in a seated position.

In accordance with an embodiment, the in-vehicle electronic device 114may be configured to determine an associative relationship between theestimated plurality of Z-heights of the plurality of the body portionsof each occupants in the vehicle 102 and a plurality of in-vehiclesystems. Examples of the plurality of in-vehicle systems may include,but are not limited to the vehicle audio system and a Heating,Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system. In one example, a firstZ-height of “X” centimeter (cm), may be estimated from the referenceposition in the vehicle 102 to one side (e.g., the lower side) of a facerectangle of the detected facial portion of a first occupant (such asthe first user 116A). The first Z-height, for example, may be associatedwith the HVAC system of the vehicle 102. In another example, a secondZ-height of “Y” centimeter (cm) from the reference position to themiddle portion of the face rectangle of the first occupant (such as thefirst user 116A) may be estimated. The second Z-height, for example, maybe associated with the vehicle audio system of the vehicle 102.

The in-vehicle electronic device 114 may be configured to control theplurality of in-vehicle systems to direct an output from a correspondingin-vehicle system of the plurality of in-vehicle systems to a specificbody portion of the plurality of body portions of each of the one ormore occupants in the vehicle 102. The output from a correspondingin-vehicle system may be directed to the specific body portion based onthe estimated plurality of Z-heights and the determined associativerelationship. In some embodiments, the plurality of in-vehicle systemsmay be controlled concurrently to direct a plurality of output from theplurality of in-vehicle systems to corresponding body portions of eachof the one or more occupants in the vehicle 102.

For example, the in-vehicle electronic device 114 may be configured tocontrol an angle of one or more vents of the HVAC system to direct anairflow toward a first body portion, such as the entire face portion, ofthe first occupant. The airflow may be directed toward the first bodyportion, such as the entire face portion, based on the estimated firstZ-height (e.g., “X” cm) of the first body portion (i.e., the faceportion) of the first occupant and the determined associativerelationship that the first Z-height is associated with the HVAC systemof the vehicle 102. The one or more vents of the HVAC system maycorrespond to vents that are controlled by one or more servo motors. Theone or more servo motors may be coupled to the one or more vents of theHVAC system. The in-vehicle electronic device 114 may be configured tocommunicate a position control signal to the one or moreservo-controlled vents to automatically control positioning and/or angleof the one or more servo-controlled vents in real time or near-realtime. Thus, the positioning and/or angle of the one or moreservo-controlled vents may be controlled in real time or near-real timein accordance to the estimated Z-height of the first body portion (e.g.,the face portion) of the first occupant (e.g., the first user 116A).

In accordance with an embodiment, the image-capture device 112 may beconfigured to continuously or intermittently track a plurality ofdifferent spatial locations (in X, Y, and Z coordinates) of each faceportion of the one or more occupants of the vehicle 102. In cases wherea change in a spatial location is detected for one face portion or aplurality of face potions, the positioning and/or angle of the one ormore servo-controlled vents may be updated in real time or near-realtime to target the airflow to the changed spatial location of each faceportion.

In another embodiment, instead of an image-capture device, a thermalsensor or imager may be used to determine portions of an individual thatare hot. In cases where localized hot spots are detected, thepositioning and/or angle of the one or more servo-controlled vents maybe updated in real time or near-real time to target the airflow to thechanged spatial location of each localized hot spot. When multiple hotspots are detected, the positioning and/or angle of the one or moreservo-controlled vents may focus on one hot spot until it falls below athreshold level. Alternately, the positioning and/or angle of the one ormore servo-controlled vents may cycle through multiple of the hot spots,or the angle of the vents may be widened.

In another example, the in-vehicle electronic device 114 may beconfigured to control the vehicle audio system to direct an audio outputfrom a plurality of audio speakers of the vehicle audio system to asecond body portion of the first occupant. In this case, the second bodyportion may refer to the middle portion of the face rectangle of thedetected facial portion of the first occupant (such as the first user116A). The audio output from the plurality of audio speakers may bedirected toward the second body portion based on the estimated secondZ-height (e.g., “Y” cm) of the second body portion (e.g., the middleportion of the face rectangle) of the first occupant and the determinedassociative relationship that the second Z-height is associated with thevehicle audio system. Thus, similar to the first occupant, differentZ-heights are estimated for each occupant from the middle portion of theface rectangle to the reference position, and the vehicle audio systemmay be tuned in real time or near-real time for optimum audioperformance and enhanced listening experience for the one or moreoccupants in the vehicle 102.

In accordance with an embodiment, the in-vehicle electronic device 114may be configured to monitor, by use of the image-capture device 112, aplurality of defined metrics related to the driver, such as the firstuser 116A, of the vehicle 102. The plurality of defined metrics relatedto the driver of the vehicle 102 may include, but are not limited to afacial position, body language, a seating position, eye movement, bodymovement, health parameters, and a tone, or pitch of driver's voice. Thein-vehicle electronic device 114 may detect a state of the driver of thevehicle 102 based on the analysis of the plurality of defined metrics.The in-vehicle electronic device 114 may be configured to utilize amachine learning system to detect if the driver is in normal state or ina distressed state when a sudden deviation in the plurality of definedmetrics is detected. For example, based on historical data related todriver (such as the identified first user 116A), a baseline behavior,body language, seating position, eye movement, body movement, healthparameters, and the tone, or pitch of driver's voice may be establishedas regular and tagged as normal. Thus, when a sudden deviation oranomaly in the plurality of defined metrics is detected, the in-vehicleelectronic device 114 may generate and communicate a driver emergencyalert signal to the vehicle audio system for output. The vehicle audiosystem may be activated and an audio alert, (e.g., “Are you OK, or shallI alert emergency services?”) may be outputted via one of the pluralityof speakers of the vehicle audio system. This may occur when the driveris suspected to be in distressed state. Thereafter, the in-vehicleelectronic device 114 may be configured to activate an emergencyresponse (ERS) mode in the vehicle 102. The in-vehicle electronic device114 may be configured to communicate a health emergency alert signal tothe medical emergency center 106 if no response is received from thedriver within a user specified or pre-defined time period. The healthemergency alert signal may be referred to as emergency call systems, orsimply eCall. eCall is an emergency response system known in the art.Typically, when vehicle crash sensors are triggered, the eCall systemdetects that the occupants are in distress and automatically callsemergency services to alert of possible injuries. The eCall system alsotransmits vehicle location (e.g., GPS coordinates) to the medicalemergency center 106 (e.g., an emergency response team).

In accordance with an embodiment, when the ERS mode is activated and noresponse is received from the driver (e.g., the first user 116A) withinthe user specified or pre-defined time period, the in-vehicle electronicdevice 114 may be configured to communicate a self-diagnostic test startsignal to an on-board diagnostics (OBD) system of the vehicle 102. Theself-diagnostic test is done to determine whether the vehicle 102 isdamaged or okay-to-drive in an autonomous mode or auto pilot (AP) mode.In cases where the vehicle 102 is damaged, the vehicle 102 remainsparked, a health emergency alert signal is communicated to the medicalemergency center 106. In cases where the vehicle 102 is diagnosed asokay-to-drive but the driver is unresponsive to the audio alert, thein-vehicle electronic device 114 may communicate an autonomous modestart signal to an engine control module (ECM) of the vehicle 102. Thismay cause the vehicle 102 to automatically drive itself to a nearesthospital or an emergency service provider, such as the medical emergencycenter 106. In certain scenarios, the driver profile may include userpreferences related to handling of emergency response. For example, thedriver, such as the first user 116A may feed information related to oneor more hospitals of choice in an order of preference, a preferredhealth insurance network, contact numbers of friends and family, and thelike, via a user interface rendered on the display (such as the display210 of FIG. 2). In cases where such user preferences related to handlingof emergency response is present, and the emergency response AP-mode isactivated, the in-vehicle electronic device 114 may dynamically set adestination location in a navigation unit of the vehicle 102 to one ofthe preferred hospitals. The selection of the preferred hospital fromthe listed hospitals may be done based on a shortest distance betweeneach location of the listed hospitals from a current location of thevehicle 102 and the order of preference. Thereafter, the in-vehicleelectronic device 114 may communicate the autonomous mode start signalto the ECM of the vehicle 102 to cause the vehicle 102 to automaticallydrive itself to the set destination location of the selected hospital.The in-vehicle electronic device 114 may also communicate a routeinformation from the current location of the vehicle 102 to the setdestination location of the selected hospital, to the contact numbers offriends and family, as provided in the driver profile. The routeinformation may be communicated via the wireless communication network110, by use of a wireless communication system of the vehicle 102.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram that illustrates various exemplary componentsor systems of a vehicle, in accordance with an embodiment of thedisclosure. FIG. 2 is explained in conjunction with elements fromFIG. 1. With reference to FIG. 2, there is shown the vehicle 102. Thevehicle 102 may comprise the in-vehicle electronic device 114. Thein-vehicle electronic device 114 may be implemented as a part of the IVIsystem or as an ECU. The in-vehicle electronic device 114 may includecircuitry 202, which may comprise at least a microprocessor. Thein-vehicle electronic device 114 may also include a memory 204. Thevehicle 102 may comprise an audio interface 206, an outside rear viewmirror (ORVM) 208, and a display 210 communicatively coupled to thein-vehicle electronic device 114. In some embodiments, the display 210may be part of the in-vehicle electronic device 114 (e.g., display of aninfotainment head unit, where the in-vehicle electronic device 114 isimplemented as a part of the IVI system). One or more user interfaces(UIs), such as the UI 210 a, may be rendered on the display 210.

The vehicle 102 may further comprise a powertrain control system 212, asensing system 214, and other systems, such as a plurality of in-vehiclesystems 216. The powertrain control system 212 may include a steeringsystem 218 and a braking system 220. The sensing system 214 may includea plurality of vehicle sensors 222, a plurality of external cameras,such as a plurality of external image-capture devices 224C, and an innercamera, such as the image-capture device 112 of FIG. 1. The plurality ofin-vehicle systems 216 may include an HVAC system 226 and a vehicleaudio system 228. The HVAC system 226 may include one or more servomotors, such as the servo-motor 230. The vehicle audio system 228 mayinclude a plurality of speakers 232. The vehicle 102 may furthercomprise a vehicle power system 234, a battery 236, a wirelesscommunication system 238, and an in-vehicle network 240.

The various components or systems may be communicatively coupled via thein-vehicle network 240, such as a vehicle area network (VAN), and/or anin-vehicle data bus. The circuitry 202, such as a microprocessor, may becommunicatively coupled to the audio interface 206, the ORVM 208, thedisplay 210, the sensing system 214, the plurality of in-vehicle systems216, and the wireless communication system 238. The circuitry 202 mayalso be operatively connected with the powertrain control system 212,the steering system 218, and the braking system 220. The wirelesscommunication system 238 may be configured to communicate with one ormore external devices, such as the RSU 108 and the server 104 under thecontrol of the circuitry 202. A person of ordinary skill in the art willunderstand that the vehicle 102 may also include other suitablecomponents or systems, in addition to the components or systems whichare illustrated herein to describe and explain the function andoperation of the present disclosure.

The circuitry 202 may comprise suitable logic, circuits, interfaces,and/or code that may be configured to execute a set of instructionsstored in the memory 204. The circuitry 202 may refer to amicroprocessor. In accordance with an embodiment, the circuitry 202 maybe configured to automatically control one or more components orsystems, such as the powertrain control system 212, the steering system218, the braking system 220, the sensing system 214, and/or theplurality of in-vehicle systems 216 of the vehicle 102, when the vehicle102 is in an autonomous mode. Examples of the circuitry 202 may include,but are not limited to a microcontroller, a Reduced Instruction SetComputing (RISC) processor, an Application-Specific Integrated Circuit(ASIC) processor, a Complex Instruction Set Computing (CISC) processor,a microcontroller, a central processing unit (CPU), a graphicsprocessing unit (GPU), a state machine, and/or other processors orcircuits.

The memory 204 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, and/or interfacesthat may be configured to store a set of instructions executable by thecircuitry 202. The memory 204 may store various types of informationrelated to the vehicle 102. Various types of information may includeZ-height information of a plurality of body portions of each occupant ofthe vehicle 102, and associative relationship between the Z-heightinformation and corresponding in-vehicle system of the plurality ofin-vehicle systems 216. Examples of implementation of the memory 204 mayinclude, but are not limited to, Electrically Erasable ProgrammableRead-Only Memory (EEPROM), Random Access Memory (RAM), Read Only Memory(ROM), Hard Disk Drive (HDD), Flash memory, Solid-State Drive (SSD),and/or CPU cache memory.

The audio interface 206 may be connected to the vehicle audio system 228or other device that may be configured to generate a sound. The audiointerface 206 may also be connected to the microphone 224B or otherdevice to receive a voice input from an occupant, such as the first user116A and the second user 116B, of the vehicle 102. The audio interface206 may also be communicatively coupled to the circuitry 202. The audiointerface 206 may be a part of the IVI system or the infotainment headunit of the vehicle 102. The IVI system, for example, may include acombination of hardware devices and software that provides audio orvideo entertainment to occupants of a vehicle, such as the vehicle 102.In accordance with an embodiment, display 210 may also becommunicatively coupled to the IVI system.

The display 210 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces,and/or code that may be configured to render various types ofinformation and/or entertainment content via the UI 210 a. The UI 210 amay be a customized graphical user interface (GUI) configured to displaythe various types of information, driver profiles, and/or theentertainment content to occupants of the vehicle 102. The display 210may be a touch screen configured to receive an input from the one ormore occupants of the vehicle 102. Examples of the display 210 mayinclude, but are not limited to a display of the infotainment head unit,a projection-based display, a see-through display, and/or anelectro-chromic display.

The powertrain control system 212 may refer to an onboard computer ofthe vehicle 102 that controls operations of an engine and a transmissionsystem of the vehicle 102. In some embodiments, the powertrain controlsystem 212 may control ignition, fuel injection (in case of hybrid ornon-electric vehicle), emission systems, and/or operations of atransmission system (when provided) and the braking system 220.

The sensing system 214 may comprise the image-capture device 112 and theplurality of vehicle sensors 222. The plurality of vehicle sensors 222may include a seat occupancy sensor 224A, a microphone 224B, and aplurality of external image-capture devices 224C. The sensing system 214may be communicatively coupled to the circuitry 202 to provide inputsignals to the circuitry 202. For example, the sensing system 214 may beused to sense or detect the sensor data by use of the plurality ofvehicle sensors 222 and the selfie camera, such as the image-capturedevice 112. Other examples of the plurality of vehicle sensors 222, mayinclude, but are not limited to a yaw rate sensor, a vehicle speedsensor, odometric sensors, a steering angle sensor, a vehicle traveldirection detection sensor, a magnetometer, an image sensor, a touchsensor, an infrared (IR) sensor, Lidar, and a depth sensor.

The plurality of in-vehicle systems 216 may include at least the HVACsystem 226 and the vehicle audio system 228. One or more vents may beconnected to the HVAC system 226 so that hot, cold, and/or dehumidifiedair may be introduced in the interior of the vehicle 102 as per needs oras desired. The one or more vents may be servo-controlled vents that arecontrolled by one or more servo motors, such as the servo-motor 230. Insome embodiments, a first vent may be coupled to the HVAC system 226 togenerate a first plane of air (e.g., a horizontal plane) in the interiorof the vehicle 102. A second vent may be coupled to the HVAC system 226to generate a second plane of air (e.g., a vertical plane). The vehicleaudio system 228 may include the plurality of speakers 232.

The steering system 218 may be configured to receive one or more controlcommand from the circuitry 202. The steering system 218 may include asteering wheel and/or an electric motor (provided for a power-assistedsteering) that may be used by the first user 116A to control movement ofthe vehicle 102 in manual mode or a semi-autonomous mode. In accordancewith an embodiment, the movement or steering of the vehicle 102 may beautomatically controlled when the vehicle 102 is in autonomous mode.Examples of the steering system 218 may include, but are not limited to,an autonomous steering control, a power-assisted steering system, avacuum/hydraulic-based steering system, an electro-hydraulicpower-assisted system (EHPAS), or a “steer-by-wire” system, or anautonomous steering system, known in the art.

The braking system 220 may be used to stop or slow down the vehicle 102by application of resistive forces such as electromagnetic and/orfrictional forces. The braking system 220 may be configured to receive acommand from the powertrain control system 212 under the control of thecircuitry 202, when the vehicle 102 is in an autonomous mode or asemi-autonomous mode. In accordance with an embodiment, the brakingsystem 220 may be configured to receive a command from the circuitry 202when the circuitry 202 preemptively detects a steep curvature based onthe set current travel route of the vehicle 102, an obstacle, or otherroad hazards.

The vehicle power system 234 may regulate the charging and the poweroutput of the battery 236 to various electric circuits and the loads ofthe vehicle 102. When the vehicle 102 is a hybrid vehicle or anautonomous vehicle, the vehicle power system 234 may provide therequired voltage for certain components and enable the vehicle 102 toutilize the battery 236 power for a sufficient amount of time. Inaccordance with an embodiment, the vehicle power system 234 maycorrespond to power electronics, and may include a microcontroller thatmay be communicatively coupled (shown by dotted lines) to the in-vehiclenetwork 240. In such an embodiment, the microcontroller may receive oneor more commands from the powertrain control system 212 under thecontrol of the circuitry 202.

The battery 236 may be a source of electric power for one or moreelectric circuits or loads (not shown). For example, the loads mayinclude, but are not limited to various lights or lighting systems, suchas headlights and interior cabin lights, electrically powered adjustablecomponents, such as vehicle seats, mirrors, windows or the like, and/orother in-vehicle infotainment system, such as radio, speakers,electronic navigation system, electrically controlled, powered and/orassisted steering, such as the steering system 218. The battery 236 maybe a rechargeable battery. The battery 236 may be a source of electricalpower to the in-vehicle electronic device 114 (shown by dashed lines),the plurality of vehicle sensors 222, the image-capture device 112, andother hardware units, such as display 210. The battery 236 may be asource of electrical power to start an engine of the vehicle 102.

The wireless communication system 238 may comprise suitable logic,circuitry, interfaces, and/or code that may be configured to communicatewith other vehicles (a V2V communication) and one or more externaldevices (such as the RSU 108), and one or more cloud servers, such asthe server 104, via the wireless communication network 110. The wirelesscommunication system 238 may include, but is not limited to, an antenna,a telematics unit, a radio frequency (RF) transceiver, one or moreamplifiers, one or more oscillators, a digital signal processor, acoder-decoder (CODEC) chipset, and/or a subscriber identity module (SIM)card. The wireless communication system 238 may wirelessly communicateby use of various communication protocols of the short or medium rangecommunication channel and wireless communication network 110 (asdescribed in FIG. 1).

The in-vehicle network 240 may include a medium through which thevarious control units, components, and/or systems of the vehicle 102(such as the in-vehicle electronic device 114, the audio interface 206,display 210, the powertrain control system 212, the sensing system 214,the plurality of in-vehicle systems 216, and the wireless communicationsystem 238) may communicate with each other. In accordance with anembodiment, in-vehicle communication of audio/video data for multimediacomponents may occur by use of Media Oriented Systems Transport (MOST)multimedia network protocol of the in-vehicle network 240 or othersuitable networks for audio/video data communication. The MOST-basednetwork may be a separate network from the controller area network(CAN). The MOST-based network may use a plastic optical fiber (POF)medium. In accordance with an embodiment, the MOST-based network, theCAN, and other in-vehicle networks may co-exist in a vehicle, such asthe vehicle 102. The in-vehicle network 240 may facilitate accesscontrol and/or communication between the circuitry 202 and other ECUs,such as ECM or a telematics control unit (TCU) of the vehicle 102.Various devices or components in the vehicle 102 may be configured toconnect to the in-vehicle network 240, in accordance with various wiredand wireless communication protocols. Examples of the wired and wirelesscommunication protocols for the in-vehicle network 240 may include, butare not limited to, a vehicle area network (VAN), a CAN bus, DomesticDigital Bus (D2B), Time-Triggered Protocol (TTP), FlexRay, IEEE 1394,Carrier Sense Multiple Access With Collision Detection (CSMA/CD) baseddata communication protocol, Inter-Integrated Circuit (PC), InterEquipment Bus (IEBus), Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) J1708, SAEJ1939, International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 11992, ISO11783, Media Oriented Systems Transport (MOST), MOST25, MOST50, MOST150,Plastic optical fiber (POF), Power-line communication (PLC), SerialPeripheral Interface (SPI) bus, and/or Local Interconnect Network (LIN).

The functions and/or operations performed by the in-vehicle electronicdevice 114, as described in FIG. 1A, may be performed by the circuitry202, such as a microprocessor. Other operations performed by thecircuitry 202, are further described, for example, in FIGS. 3A to 3F.

FIGS. 3A to 3F illustrate exemplary scenarios for implementation of thedisclosed personalization system and method for a vehicle based onspatial locations of body portions of occupants in the vehicle, inaccordance with an embodiment of the disclosure. FIGS. 3A to 3F areexplained in conjunction with elements from FIGS. 1 and 2.

With reference to FIG. 3A, there is shown an exemplary scenario 300A.The exemplary scenario 300A illustrates a portion 302 of the interior ofthe vehicle 102 to depict the location of mounting of the image-capturedevice 112 in the vicinity of a front mirror 304. There is also shownthe display 210 of an infotainment head unit 306. The image-capturedevice 112 may be a wide-angle camera having a field-of-view 308 that issuited to capture a plurality of images of all the occupants of thevehicle 102 when the occupants are in a seated position.

With reference to FIG. 3B, there is shown an exemplary scenario 300B.FIG. 3B is explained in conjunction with elements from FIGS. 1, 2, and3A. The exemplary scenario 300B includes a portion of the interior ofthe vehicle 102 to depict identification of a first occupant 310A in thevehicle 102 and tracking of a first facial portion 312A by theimage-capture device 112. The first occupant 310A may correspond to thefirst user 116A (FIG. 1).

The image-capture device 112 may be configured to capture one or moreimages or a video of the first occupant 310A. The circuitry 202 may becommunicatively coupled to the image-capture device 112. The circuitry202 may be configured to identify a driver profile associated with thefirst occupant 310A based on facial recognition of the first occupant310A. The circuitry 202 may be configured to match facial features ofthe first occupant 310A with stored images or facial features ofdifferent users for the identification of the first occupant 310A. Incertain scenarios, for example, in low lighting conditions or at night,one or more other sensors, such as IR sensor, may be employed to aid inidentification based on a comparison of an object boundary of the firstoccupant 310A and pre-stored boundary data of different users. In someembodiments, the image-capture device 112 may include night-visionfunctionalities to execute facial recognition at night or in lowlighting conditions.

In cases where the driver profile of the first occupant 310A isidentified based on facial recognition, the circuitry 202 may beconfigured to communicate an audio signal to the vehicle audio system228 to output a customized audio greeting specific to the first occupant310A. For example, the first occupant 310A may be notified ofrecognition confirmation with custom audio greeting, “Good morning,Fredrick; How are you doing today?” via at least one of the audiospeakers of the plurality of speakers 232. Based on learned informationreceived from the machine learning system in the memory 204, thecircuitry 202 may be configured to predict that first occupant 310Aintends to drive to the office address of the first occupant 310A. Thelearned information is generated by the machine learning system based onanalysis of historical data related to a schedule of daily activities,user behavior, and a current time of day. In some embodiments, thecircuitry 202 may be configured to automatically set the destinationlocation in the navigation unit of the vehicle 102 and seek confirmationfrom the first occupant 310A for an autonomous ride. For example, thedestination location automatically set to the office address when it isdetected that the first occupant 310A usually takes an autonomous rideto office in the morning time between 8 AM and 9 AM, based on theanalysis of the historical data.

In some embodiments, the circuitry 202 may be configured to execute afirst level of customization in the vehicle 102 based on the defineduser preferences in the identified driver profile of the first occupant310A. For example, the electrically powered adjustable components, suchas the driver seat, vehicle mirrors (e.g., the ORVM 208), front mirror,radio, music preferences, and driving mode preferences, may be adjustedin accordance with the user preferences in the driver profile of thefirst occupant 310A. The circuitry 202 may be configured to communicatea plurality of control signals to one or more other ECUs to initiate theadjustments in accordance with the user preferences in the driverprofile of the first occupant 310A.

With reference to FIG. 3C, there is shown an exemplary scenario 300C.FIG. 3C is explained in conjunction with elements from FIGS. 1, 2, 3A,and 3B. The exemplary scenario 300B illustrates a portion of theinterior of the vehicle 102 to depict determination of a plurality ofZ-heights of a plurality of body portions of the first occupant 310A anda second occupant 310B in the vehicle 102.

In FIG. 3C, there is shown a first body portion, such as the firstfacial portion 312A of the first occupant 310A and a second facialportion 312B of the second occupant 310B. There is further shown areference position 314, a second body portion, such as a first facialmiddle portion 318A and a second facial middle portion 318B, and facerectangles 316A and 316B.

In accordance with an embodiment, the circuitry 202 may be configured toestimate a first Z-height 320A (also represented by “X1” cm″) of thefirst facial portion 312A of the first occupant 310A from the referenceposition 314 in the vehicle, as shown. The circuitry 202 may beconfigured to continuously track the first facial portion 312A asrepresented by the face rectangle 316A. The first Z-height 320A of “X1”cm, may refer to a vertical height from the reference position 314 inthe vehicle 102 to one side (e.g., the lower side) of the face rectangle316A of the detected first facial portion 312A of the first occupant310A. The reference position 314 corresponds a horizontal plane in thevehicle 102 from a seated position of the first occupant 310A, as shown,for example. A second Z-height 322A (also represented by “Y1” cm″) of asecond body portion, such as the first facial middle portion 318A, fromthe reference position 314 may also be estimated, as shown. Similar tothe first Z-height 320A and the second Z-height 322A for different bodyportions of the first occupant 310A, the circuitry 202 may be furtherconfigured to estimate a third Z-height 320B of the second facialportion 312B of the second occupant 310B from the reference position314. Accordingly, a fourth Z-height 322B of the second facial middleportion 318B from the reference position 314 may also be estimated.

In accordance with an embodiment, the plurality of Z-heights of theplurality of body portions may be estimated concurrently by facetracking based on the plurality of images captured by the image-capturedevice 112. It is to be understood by a person of ordinary skill in theart that only two body portions and two occupants are described abovefor exemplary and illustrative purposes only, and therefore, shall notbe construed to limit the scope of the disclosure.

The circuitry 202 may be further configured to determine an associativerelationship between the estimated plurality of Z-heights and theplurality of in-vehicle systems 216 of the vehicle 102. An example ofthe associative relationship between the estimated plurality ofZ-heights and the plurality of in-vehicle systems 216 of the vehicle102, is given in TABLE 1.

TABLE 1 Associative relationship between a Z-height of a body portionand corresponding mapped in-vehicle system First_Z- Second_Z- OccupantsOccupant_name height_B1 Vehicle_system_1 height_B2 vehicle _system_2 . .. D01 Fredrick X1 HVAC Y1 Audio . . . P01 Samantha X2 HVAC Y2 Audio . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

With reference to TABLE 1, the column “Occupants” denotes type ofoccupants (such as a driver) and an identification number of driverprofile “D01”. The column “Occupant_name” denotes name of the occupantas identified based on face recognition. In case an occupant isunidentified, the cell may be left blank or “0”. The column“First_Z-height_B1” includes the first Z-height 320A (also representedby “X1” cm″) of the first facial portion 312A of the first occupant 310A(e.g., having driver profile “D01”). The column “First_Z-height_B1” alsoincludes the third Z-height 320B (also represented by “X2” cm″) of thesecond facial portion 312B of the second occupant 310B (e.g., having anew passenger profile “P01”). The first body portion, such as both thefacial portions 312A and 312B, are associated with the HVAC system 226(an in-vehicle system of the plurality of in-vehicle systems 216represented under column “Vehicle_system_1”) in the TABLE 1, as shown.Similarly, the second Z-height 322A (also represented by “Y1” cm″) of asecond body portion, such as the first facial middle portion 318A andthe fourth Z-height 322B (also represented by “Y2” cm″) of the secondfacial middle portion 318B are associated with the vehicle audio system228.

With reference to FIG. 3D, there is shown an exemplary scenario 300D.FIG. 3D is explained in conjunction with elements from FIGS. 1, 2, 3A,3B, and 3C. The exemplary scenario 300D illustrates a portion of theinterior of the vehicle 102 to depict a precise personalization ofin-vehicle systems based on Z-heights of body portions of vehicleoccupants. There is further shown a HVAC unit 324 with a first set ofvents 324A and a second set of vents 324B. There is also shown a customoutput from the HVAC unit 324, such as a direction of a first airflow326A to the first facial portion 312A of the first occupant 310A and adirection of a second airflow 326B to the second facial portion 312B ofthe second occupant 310B. A custom output from the vehicle audio system228 to the first facial middle portion 318A and the second facial middleportion 318B, is also shown.

In accordance with an embodiment, the circuitry 202 may be configured tocontrol the plurality of in-vehicle systems 216 to direct an output froma corresponding in-vehicle system of the plurality of in-vehicle systems216 to a specific body portion of the plurality of body portions of eachof the one or more occupants in the vehicle 102. The output from acorresponding in-vehicle system, such as the HVAC system 226, may bedirected to the specific body portion, such as the face portions, basedon the estimated plurality of Z-heights and the determined associativerelationship, as shown in TABLE 1, for example. In some embodiments, theplurality of in-vehicle systems 216 may be controlled concurrently todirect a plurality of output from the plurality of in-vehicle systems216 such that output from one in-vehicle system, such as the HVAC system226, do not interfere (and instead complement) with output of anotherin-vehicle system, such as the vehicle audio system 228, of theplurality of in-vehicle systems 216.

The circuitry 202, such as the microprocessor, may be configured tocontrol an angle of the first set of vents 324A of the HVAC unit 324 todirect an airflow (such as the first airflow 326A) toward the firstfacial portion 312A of the first occupant 310A. The airflow (such as thefirst airflow 326A) may be directed toward the first facial portion 312Abased on the estimated first Z-height 320A (e.g., “X1” cm) and thedetermined associative relationship that the first Z-height 320A (e.g.,“X1” cm) is meant for the HVAC system 226 of the vehicle 102. Thecircuitry 202 may be configured to communicate a position control signalto the first set of vents 324A to automatically control positioningand/or angle of first set of vents 324A such that an airflow output fromthe first set of vents 324A is directed toward the first facial portion312A. Similarly, the circuitry 202 may be configured to control an angleof the second set of vents 324B of the HVAC unit 324 to direct anairflow (such as the second airflow 326B) toward the second facialportion 312B of the second occupant 310B in accordance with theestimated third Z-height 320B (also represented by “X2” cm″). Thepositioning and/or angle of the servo-motor 230 controlled first set ofvents 324A and the second set of vents 324B are vertically adjusted andupdated continuously to control airflow in real time or near-real timebased on face tracking and change in estimation of correspondingZ-heights of the facial portions 312A and 312B.

The control the plurality of in-vehicle systems 216 further includescontrol of the vehicle audio system 228 to direct an audio output fromthe plurality of speakers 232 of the vehicle audio system 228 toward themid facial portions 318A and 318B of first occupant 310A and the secondoccupant 310B respectively. The directivity of the audio output may bebased on the second Z-height 322A (also represented by “Y1” cm″) and thefourth Z-height 322B (also represented by “Y2” cm″) and the determinedassociative relationship that the “Y1” and “Y2” are associated with thevehicle audio system 228 for optimum audio experience. Thus, the vehicleaudio system 228 may be tuned in real time or near-real time for optimumaudio performance and enhanced listening experience for the firstoccupant 310A and the second occupant 310B in the vehicle 102.

With reference to FIG. 3E, there is shown an exemplary scenario 300E.FIG. 3E is explained in conjunction with elements from FIGS. 1, 2, and3A to 3D. The exemplary scenario 300E illustrates a top view of theinterior of the vehicle 102 to depict a precise and a real timepersonalization of in-vehicle systems based on Z-heights of bodyportions of vehicle occupants, occupants positioning, and the number ofoccupants. There is further shown a first center of audio focus 330A, asecond center of audio focus 330B and different directions of airflows332A, 332B, 332C, and 332D based on positioning and the detected numberof occupants, such as the first occupant 310A, the second occupant 310B,a third occupant 310C, and a fourth occupant 310D.

In accordance with an embodiment, in addition to the vertical Z-heightbased personalization, a horizontal (X, Y coordinates) occupant'sposition based personalization may also occur in the vehicle 102. Forexample, the circuitry 202 may be configured to determine and update anoptimal location in real time or near-real time for a center of audiofocus in the interior of the vehicle 102 based on a track of currentpositioning of one or more occupants in the vehicle 102. For example,when a single occupant, such as the first occupant 310A is present inthe vehicle 102, the circuitry 202 may communicate a first controlsignal to the vehicle audio system 228 to focus the output from theplurality of speakers 232 to the first center of audio focus 330A. Thecircuitry 202 may also communicate a second control signal to the HVACsystem 226 to selectively direct the airflow 332A from a front HVAC unitof the HVAC system 226 to the first facial portion 312A of the firstoccupant 310A. In some embodiments, both the first control signal andthe second control signal may be communicated concurrently to respectivein-vehicle systems.

In accordance with an embodiment, when the number of occupants orseating position of the occupants changes (an increase in this case) inthe vehicle 102, the circuitry 202 may be configured to shift the firstcenter of audio focus 330A to the second center of audio focus 330B, asshown in FIG. 3E. In some embodiments, a combination of seat occupancysensors (such as the seat occupancy sensor 224A) and the face trackingfeature of the image-capture device 112 may be utilized for an accurateoccupant(s) position estimation.

Further, the output from different servo-controlled vents in the frontor rear of the vehicle 102 may be controlled such that each of the firstoccupant 310A, the second occupant 310B, the third occupant 310C, andthe fourth occupant 310D receive a personalized directed airflow (e.g.,the different directions of airflows 332A, 332B, 332C, and 332D, asshown). The personalized directed airflow towards their facial portionsmay be outputted in accordance to estimated Z-heights of the facialportions, as discussed in FIGS. 3C and 3D, for example.

In accordance with an embodiment, Right-left (R-L) balance, Front-back(F-B) fade, and other audio settings may be adjusted for optimallistening experience for current positioning of the one or moreoccupants. Further, when the vehicle 102 stops and one passenger exitsthe vehicle 102, the image-capture device 112 may be configured todetect change in an occupant seating scenario. The circuitry 202, basedon the detected change in the occupant seating scenario, mayautomatically update audio settings of the vehicle audio system 228 forthe remaining occupants (i.e. new occupant seating scenario).

With reference to FIG. 3F, there is shown an exemplary scenario 300F.FIG. 3F is explained in conjunction with elements from FIGS. 1, 2, and3A to 3E. The exemplary scenario 300F illustrates a portion of theinterior of the vehicle 102 to depict monitoring of a driver state.There is shown the first occupant 310A in a distressed state in thevehicle 102.

In accordance with an embodiment, the circuitry 202 may be configured tomonitor, by use of the image-capture device 112, a plurality of definedmetrics related to the driver, such as the first occupant 310A, of thevehicle 102. The plurality of defined metrics related to the driver ofthe vehicle 102 may include, but are not limited to a facial position,body language, a seating position, eye movement, body movement, healthparameters, and a tone, or pitch of driver's voice. In accordance to theexemplary scenario 300F, the driver, such as the first occupant 310A, isdetected in a distressed state during after a crash. The circuitry 202activates an emergency response (ERS) mode in the vehicle 102 and seeksresponse from the driver (e.g., the first occupant 310A) within the userspecified or pre-defined time period. In other embodiments, a driverdozing off is identified through recognition of closing eyes or abobbing head. In such a situation, an alert may be sounded, cabintemperature may be reduced, cold air may be blown on the driver, and thevehicle 102 may be brought to a stop in a safe manner, or another actionmay be taken.

Thereafter, the circuitry 202 may be configured to communicate aself-diagnostic test start signal to an on-board diagnostics (OBD)system of the vehicle 102. The self-diagnostic test is done to determinewhether the vehicle 102 is damaged or okay-to-drive in an autonomousmode or auto pilot (AP) mode. In cases where the vehicle 102 is damaged,the vehicle 102 remains parked, and a health emergency alert signal iscommunicated to the medical emergency center 106, by the wirelesscommunication system 238. In cases where the vehicle 102 is diagnosed asokay-to-drive but the first occupant 310A is unresponsive, the circuitry202 may communicate an autonomous mode start signal to an engine controlmodule (ECM) of the vehicle 102. This may cause the vehicle 102 toautomatically drive itself to a preferred hospital based on theidentified driver profile “D01”.

FIGS. 4A, 4B, 4C, and 4D collectively, depict a flow chart thatillustrates exemplary operations for personalization of a vehicle basedon spatial locations of body portions of occupants in the vehicle, inaccordance with an embodiment of the disclosure. With reference to FIGS.4A, 4B, 4C, and 4D there is shown a flow chart 400. The flow chart 400is described in conjunction with FIGS. 1, 2, and 3A to 3F. Theoperations, implemented at the in-vehicle electronic device 114 inassociation with the image-capture device 112, for personalization of avehicle, begin at 402 and proceed to 404.

At 404, a plurality of images or a video of one or more occupants in thevehicle 102 may be captured. The image-capture device 112 may beconfigured to capture the plurality of images or the video of the one ormore occupants in the vehicle 102. At 406, facial portion(s) of one ormore occupants in the vehicle 102 may be detected based on the pluralityof images or the video captured by the image-capture device 112.

At 408, at least a driver profile or a passenger profile (each couldalso be referred to as an occupant profile) associated with eachoccupant (who may be seated at a driver seat or one of the passengerseats) may be searched based on a comparison of facial features of theoccupant with stored facial features of users related to a plurality ofdriver profiles and a plurality of passenger profiles. The circuitry202, such as a microprocessor, may be configured to search for thedriver profile and/or the passenger profile of each occupant based onthe comparison of the facial features of the occupant, such as the firstoccupant 310A, with stored facial features of users related to theplurality of driver profiles stored in the memory 204. At 410, facialrecognition is performed on the acquired data, such as the plurality ofimages or the video of the one or more occupants, to identify a driverprofile and/or a passenger profile. The circuitry 202 may be configuredto check whether the driver profile is identified based on facialrecognition from the stored plurality of driver profiles in the memory204. Similarly, the circuitry 202 may be further configured to checkwhether the passenger profile is identified based on facial recognitionfrom the stored plurality of passenger profiles in the memory 204. Amatch of the facial features of an occupant, such as the first occupant310A, with stored facial features of one user may result in the facialrecognition. In cases where the driver profile and/or the passengerprofile is identified, the control passes to 412 else to 416.

At 412, an audio signal may be communicated to the vehicle audio system228 to output customized audio greeting to at least the first occupant310A. The circuitry 202 may be configured to communicate the audiosignal to the vehicle audio system 228 to output the customized audiogreeting, for example, “Hello, Fredrick” to the first occupant 310A. At414, a first level of customization may be executed in the vehicle 102based on defined user-preferences in the identified driver profile orpassenger profile of the one or more occupants, such as the firstoccupant 310A. For example, the electrically powered adjustablecomponents, such as the driver seat, vehicle mirrors (e.g., the ORVM208), front mirror, radio, music preferences, and driving modepreferences, may be adjusted in accordance with the user preferences inthe driver profile of the first user 116A. The circuitry 202 may beconfigured to communicate a plurality of control signals to one or moreother ECUs to initiate the adjustments in accordance with the userpreferences in the driver profile of the first occupant 310A. In someembodiments, if there are more than one occupants in the vehicle 102,similar to the first occupant 310A, audio signal may be communicated tothe vehicle audio system 228 to output customized audio greeting to eachoccupant. For example, in addition to custom audio greeting to the firstoccupant 310A, the second occupant 310B may also be greeted as, “HelloSamantha, how are you doing today?”, via an audio speaker that is invicinity of the second occupant 310B.

At 416, an unrecognized occupant (e.g., a first occupant, a secondoccupant, or a new occupant) may be marked (or tagged) as a new user anda request to set a new profile may be generated on the display 210 of aninfotainment head unit (e.g., the in-vehicle electronic device 114). Incases where there are multiple occupants, and one or more occupants arenot identified, for example, a passenger seated at the front seat, thepassenger may be tagged as new user and requested to set the new profilesimilar to the first occupant 310A, such as the driver. At 418, aplurality of Z-heights of a plurality of body portions of each of theone or more occupants in the vehicle 102 may be estimated. An example ofthe estimation of the plurality of Z-heights, has been shown anddescribed in details in the FIG. 3C.

At 420, an associative relationship may be determined between theestimated plurality of Z-heights of the plurality of body portions ofeach of the one or more occupants and the plurality of in-vehiclesystems 216 of the vehicle 102. An example of the associativerelationship is depicted in TABLE 1 in the FIG. 3C. At 422, theplurality of in-vehicle systems 216 may be controlled to direct anoutput from a corresponding in-vehicle system of the plurality ofin-vehicle systems 216 to a specific body portion of the plurality ofbody portions of each of the one or more occupants in the vehicle 102.An example of the control of the plurality of in-vehicle systems 216,such as the HVAC system 226 and the vehicle audio system 228, has beenshown and described in the FIGS. 3D and 3E.

At 424, an optimal location to direct the audio in the interior of thevehicle 102 is determined, based on positioning of the one or moreoccupants in the vehicle 102. An example of the determination of theoptimal location for the center of audio (or music) focus has been shownand described in FIG. 3E. In some embodiments, as the vehicle 102includes the plurality of speakers 232, audio from all of the pluralityof speakers 232 may be directed towards one location (or position).Alternatively, a same audio or different audio from the plurality ofspeakers 232 may be directed toward different locations in the interiorof the vehicle 102 based on positioning of the one or more occupants inthe vehicle 102. In cases where audio output from the plurality ofspeakers 232 are directed toward different locations, each speaker or agroup of speakers of the plurality of speakers 232 may output differentaudio to different locations suited to individual occupant in thevehicle 102. Audio beam forming techniques may be used for providingdirected audio toward each occupant. For example, certain speakers ofthe plurality of speakers 232 may be in close proximity to an occupant.For instance, the vehicle door near driver may comprise multiplespeakers to allow for beam forming. In some scenarios, the selection ofdifferent audio may be based on individual user-preferences inaccordance with identified driver and passenger profiles of eachoccupant.

At 426, an angle of the one or more vents of the HVAC system 226 may becontrolled to direct an airflow toward a first body portion, such as thefirst facial portion 312A, of the first occupant 310A of the one or moreoccupants. The airflow may be directed toward the first body portionbased on a first Z-height (e.g., the first Z-height 320A) of the firstbody portion of the first occupant 310A in the determined associativerelationship. An example of control of angle to direct an airflow towarda specific body portion, has been shown and described in FIGS. 3D and3E.

At 428, the vehicle audio system 228 may be controlled to direct anaudio output from the plurality of speakers 232 of the vehicle audiosystem 228 to a second body portion of plurality of body portions of thefirst occupant 310A. The audio output, for example, an audio beam, maybe directed based on a second Z-height (e.g., the second Z-height 322A)of the second body portion of the first occupant 310A in the determinedassociative relationship. An example of the control of vehicle audiosystem 228 angle to direct an audio output toward a specific bodyportion, has been shown and described in the FIG. 3D. At 430, a changein occupant(s) seating positions and a number of current occupants inthe vehicle 102 may be detected. The circuitry 202 may be configured todetect the change in occupant(s) seating positions and the number ofcurrent occupants in the vehicle 102 based on face tracking of the oneor more occupants. In some embodiments, a combination of seat occupancysensors (such as the seat occupancy sensor 224A) and the face trackingfeature of the image-capture device 112 may be utilized for an accurateoccupant(s) position estimation. In some embodiments, where there aremultiple occupants, for example, the driver, a front passenger and aback passenger seated in a rear seat, the front passenger might havesimilar setting for air flow, audio, and the like, as that of thedriver. However, the back passenger seated in the rear seat, may be achild (or a user of different age-group) and may be associated withdifferent settings (e.g. a preference of reduced audio level as comparedto front occupants, a different choice for audio, airflow settings, andthe like). Accordingly, different audio may be played for the backpassenger based on identified passenger profile for the rear seatpassenger, or a specific audio may be directed to ears of the passenger(e.g., the child) based on the estimated Z-height. In some embodiments,settings for air flow, audio, and the like, may be specific for eachoccupant, such as the driver and each passenger, based on estimatedZ-heights and user-preferences in their respective profiles (e.g., theidentified passenger and driver profiles).

At 432, an optimal location for a center of audio focus and an angle ofthe one or more vents of the HVAC system may be dynamically updated. Theupdate may be done for a specific body portion for new occupants. Anexample of the shift in the center of audio focus based on an increasein the number of occupants and a concurrent update in the angle of theone or more vents, has been described in FIG. 3E. At 434, a plurality ofdefined metrics related to a driver, such as the first occupant 310A, ofvehicle 102, may be monitored. An example of the monitoring of theplurality of defined metrics has been described in FIGS. 1 and 3F.

At 436, a state of the driver of the vehicle 102 may be detected, basedon an analysis of the plurality of defined metrics. An example of adistressed state is shown and described in FIG. 3F. At 438, it may bechecked whether the driver is in normal state. In cases where the driveris detected in the normal state, the control returns to 434, as shown.In cases where the driver is detected in the distressed state, thecontrol passes to 440.

At 440, a driver emergency alert signal may be generated and thencommunicated to the vehicle audio system 228 for output, such as anaudio alert. The circuitry 202 may be configured to generate and thencommunicate the driver emergency alert signal to the vehicle audiosystem 228 for output via one of the plurality of speakers 232. At 442,it may be checked whether the driver is responsive to the generatedoutput, such as the generated audio alert. In cases where the driver isresponsive, the control may pass to 444. In cases where the driver isunresponsive to the audio alert, the control may pass to 446.

At 444, it may be determined whether the driver have requested foremergency services, such as to call the medical emergency center 106. Incases where the driver has requested for emergency services, the controlmay pass to 446, else the control may return to 434. At 446, anemergency response (ERS) mode may be activated in the vehicle 102. Thecircuitry 202 may be configured to activate the ERS mode in the vehicle102.

At 448, a health emergency alert signal may be communicated to themedical emergency center 106. The circuitry 202 may be configured tocommunicate the health emergency alert signal to the medical emergencycenter 106 if no response is received from the driver (e.g., the firstoccupant 310A) within a user specified or pre-defined time period. Thehealth emergency alert signal may be referred to as emergency callsystems, or simply eCall. At 450, it may be checked whether the vehicle102 is damaged based on a self-diagnostic test of the vehicle 102. Incases where the vehicle is damaged, the control may pass to 448 to callfor emergency services. In cases where the vehicle is not damaged anddiagnosed as okay-to-drive, the control may pass to 452.

At 452, an autonomous mode start signal may be communicated to theengine control module of the vehicle 102. In cases where the vehicle 102is diagnosed as okay-to-drive but the driver is unresponsive to theaudio alert, the circuitry 202 may communicate the autonomous mode startsignal to the ECM. At 454, the vehicle 102 may be automatically drivento the medical emergency center 106. The control may pass to the end.The receipt of the autonomous mode start signal at the ECM may cause thevehicle 102 to automatically drive itself to a nearest hospital, such asthe medical emergency center 106 or a preferred hospital, if provided inthe identified driver profile.

The present disclosure may be realized in hardware, or a combination ofhardware and software. The present disclosure may be realized in acentralized fashion, in at least one computer system, or in adistributed fashion, where different elements may be spread acrossseveral interconnected computer systems. A computer system or otherapparatus adapted for carrying out the methods described herein may besuited. A combination of hardware and software may be a general-purposecomputer system with a computer program that, when loaded and executed,may control the computer system such that it carries out the methodsdescribed herein. The present disclosure may be realized in hardwarethat comprises a portion of an integrated circuit that also performsother functions. It may be understood that, depending on the embodiment,some of the steps described above may be eliminated, while otheradditional steps may be added, and the sequence of steps may be changed.

The present disclosure may also be embedded in a computer programproduct, which comprises all the features that enable the implementationof the methods described herein, and which when loaded in a computersystem is able to carry out these methods. Computer program, in thepresent context, means any expression, in any language, code ornotation, of a set of instructions intended to cause a system with aninformation processing capability to perform a particular functioneither directly, or after either or both of the following: a) conversionto another language, code or notation; b) reproduction in a differentmaterial form.

While the present disclosure has been described with reference tocertain embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the artthat various changes may be made and equivalents may be substitutedwithout departing from the scope of the present disclosure. In addition,many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation ormaterial to the teachings of the present disclosure without departingfrom its scope. Therefore, it is intended that the present disclosurenot be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed, but that thepresent disclosure will include all embodiments that fall within thescope of the appended claims. Equivalent elements, materials, processesor steps may be substituted for those representatively illustrated anddescribed herein. Moreover, certain features of the disclosure may beutilized independently of the use of other features, all as would beapparent to one skilled in the art after having the benefit of thisdescription of the disclosure.

As used herein, the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “includes,”“including,” “has,” “having” or any contextual variants thereof, areintended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process,product, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements is notnecessarily limited to only those elements, but may include otherelements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, product,article, or apparatus. Further, unless expressly stated to the contrary,“or” refers to an inclusive or and not to an exclusive or. For example,a condition “A or B” is satisfied by any one of the following: A is true(or present) and B is false (or not present), A is false (or notpresent) and B is true (or present), and both A and B is true (orpresent).

Although the steps, operations, or computations may be presented in aspecific order, this order may be changed in different embodiments. Insome embodiments, to the extent multiple steps are shown as sequentialin this specification, some combination of such steps in alternativeembodiments may be performed at the same time. The sequence ofoperations described herein can be interrupted, suspended, reversed, orotherwise controlled by another process.

It will also be appreciated that one or more of the elements depicted inthe drawings/figures can also be implemented in a more separated orintegrated manner, or even removed or rendered as inoperable in certaincases, as is useful in accordance with a particular application.

What is claimed is:
 1. A personalization system for a vehicle,comprising: an image-capture device configured to capture a plurality ofimages of a plurality of occupants in the vehicle, the occupants beingpositioned at a front and a rear of the vehicle, wherein a firstoccupant is positioned at the front and a second occupant is positionedat the rear, and wherein the occupants are associated with respectiveprofiles; and circuitry configured to: estimate a plurality of Z-heightsof a plurality of body portions of each of the occupants from areference position in the vehicle, based on the plurality of imagescaptured from the image-capture device; determine an associativerelationship between the plurality of Z-heights of the plurality of bodyportions of each of the occupants in the vehicle and a plurality ofin-vehicle systems, wherein a first of the in-vehicle systems isautomatically associated with a first body portion of each of theoccupants, wherein the circuitry is configured to identify respectiveZ-heights of the first body portions for the occupants, wherein a secondof the in-vehicle systems is automatically associated with a second bodyportion of each of the occupants, and wherein the circuitry isconfigured to identify respective Z-heights of the second body portionsof the occupants; and for each occupant of the plurality of occupants:access the profile associated with the occupant, the profile defininguser-preferences for the occupant comprising settings for the pluralityof in-vehicle systems, and control the plurality of in-vehicle systemsto direct respective output in accordance with the settings to specificbody portions of the occupant in the vehicle, based on the estimatedplurality of Z-heights and the determined associative relationship,wherein at least a portion of the settings for the first occupant isdifferent than for the second occupant, and wherein the in-vehiclesystems are controlled in real-time based on adjustment of the bodyportions and images captured via the image-capture device.
 2. Thepersonalization system according to claim 1, wherein the control of theplurality of in-vehicle systems includes control of an angle of one ormore vents of an Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC)system to direct an airflow towards a particular body portion of theplurality of body portions of the first occupant, based on a firstZ-height of the particular body portion of the first occupant in thedetermined associative relationship, wherein the HVAC system correspondsto one of the plurality of in-vehicle systems.
 3. The personalizationsystem according to claim 1, wherein the control of the plurality ofin-vehicle systems includes control of a vehicle audio system to directan audio output from a plurality of audio speakers of the vehicle audiosystem to a particular body portion of the plurality of body portions ofthe first occupant, based on a second Z-height of the particular bodyportion of the first occupant in the determined associativerelationship, wherein the vehicle audio system corresponds to one of theplurality of in-vehicle systems, wherein the vehicle audio system iscontrolled to output reduced audio for the second occupant as comparedto the first occupant or is controlled to output different audio for thesecond occupant as compared to the first occupant.
 4. Thepersonalization system according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry isfurther configured to detect that a driver that corresponds to one ofthe occupants in the vehicle is in a distressed state or a normal state,based on an analysis of a plurality of defined metrics associated withthe driver.
 5. The personalization system according to claim 4, whereinthe circuitry is further configured to activate an emergency responsemode in the vehicle when the driver is detected in the distressed stateand is unresponsive to an audio alert generated in the vehicle.
 6. Thepersonalization system according to claim 5, wherein the circuitry isfurther configured to communicate an autonomous mode start signal to anengine control module of the vehicle to cause the vehicle to beautomatically driven to a user-specified medical emergency center whenthe vehicle is diagnosed as okay-to-drive in the emergency responsemode.
 7. The personalization system according to claim 1, wherein thevehicle is an autonomous, or a semi-autonomous vehicle.
 8. A method forhandling personalization of a vehicle, the method comprising: capturing,by an image-capture device in the vehicle, a plurality of images of aplurality of occupants in the vehicle, the occupants being positioned ata front and a rear of the vehicle, wherein a first occupant ispositioned at the front and a second occupant is positioned at the rear,and wherein the occupants are associated with respective profiles;estimating, by circuitry in the vehicle, a plurality of Z-heights of aplurality of body portions of each of the occupants from a referenceposition in the vehicle, based on the plurality of images captured fromthe image-capture device; determining, by the circuitry, an associativerelationship between the plurality of Z-heights of the plurality of bodyportions of each of the occupants in the vehicle and a plurality ofin-vehicle systems, wherein a first of the in-vehicle systems isautomatically associated with a first body portion of each of theoccupants, wherein the circuitry identifies respective Z-heights of thefirst body portions for the occupants, wherein a second of thein-vehicle systems is automatically associated with a second bodyportion of each of the occupants, and wherein the circuitry isconfigured to identify respective Z-heights of the second body portionsof the occupants; and for each occupant of the plurality of occupants:accessing the profile associated with the occupant, the profile defininguser-preferences for the occupant comprising settings for the pluralityof in-vehicle systems, and controlling, by the circuitry, the pluralityof in-vehicle systems to direct respective output in accordance with thesettings to specific body portions of the occupant in the vehicle, basedon the estimated plurality of Z-heights and the determined associativerelationship, wherein at least a portion of the settings for the firstoccupant is different than for the second occupant, and wherein thein-vehicle systems are controlled in real-time based on adjustment ofthe body portions and images captured via the image-capture device. 9.The method of claim 8, wherein the controlling of the plurality ofin-vehicle systems includes controlling of an angle of one or more ventsof an Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system to directan airflow towards a particular body portion of the plurality of bodyportions of the first occupant of the occupants, based on a firstZ-height of the particular body portion of the first occupant in thedetermined associative relationship, wherein the HVAC system correspondsto one of the plurality of in-vehicle systems.
 10. The method of claim8, wherein the controlling of the plurality of in-vehicle systemsincludes controlling of a vehicle audio system to direct an audio outputfrom a plurality of audio speakers of the vehicle audio system to aparticular body portion of the plurality of body portions of the firstoccupant of the occupants, based on a second Z-height of the particularbody portion of the first occupant in the determined associativerelationship, wherein the vehicle audio system corresponds to one of theplurality of in-vehicle systems, wherein the vehicle audio system iscontrolled to output reduced audio for the second occupant as comparedto the first occupant or is controlled to output different audio for thesecond occupant as compared to the first occupant.
 11. The method ofclaim 8, further comprising the step of detecting that a driver thatcorresponds to one of the occupants in the vehicle is in a distressedstate or a normal state, based on an analysis of a plurality of definedmetrics associated with the driver.
 12. The method of claim 11, furthercomprising the step of activating an emergency response mode in thevehicle when the driver is detected in the distressed state and isunresponsive to an audio alert generated in the vehicle.
 13. The methodof claim 12, further comprising the step of communicating an autonomousmode start signal to an engine control module of the vehicle to causethe vehicle to be automatically driven to a user-specified medicalemergency center when the vehicle is diagnosed as okay-to-drive in theemergency response mode.
 14. A vehicle comprising: a battery; animage-capture device, powered by the battery, configured to capture aplurality of images of a plurality of occupants in the vehicle, theoccupants being positioned at a front and a rear of the vehicle, whereinthe occupants include at least a first occupant positioned at the frontand a second occupant positioned at the rear; and an in-vehicleelectronic device, powered by the battery, configured to: estimate aplurality of Z-heights of a plurality of body portions of each of theplurality of occupants from a reference position in the vehicle, basedon the plurality of images captured from the image-capture device;determine an associative relationship between the plurality of Z-heightsof the plurality of body portions of each of the plurality of occupantsin the vehicle and a plurality of in-vehicle systems; determine anassociative relationship between the plurality of Z-heights of theplurality of body portions of each of the occupants in the vehicle and aplurality of in-vehicle systems, wherein a first of the in-vehiclesystems is automatically associated with a first body portion of each ofthe occupants, wherein respective Z-heights of the first body portionsare identified for the occupants, wherein a second of the in-vehiclesystems is automatically associated with a second body portion of eachof the occupants, and wherein respective Z-heights of the second bodyportions are identified for the occupants; and control the plurality ofin-vehicle systems to direct respective output from a correspondingin-vehicle system of the plurality of in-vehicle systems based on theestimated plurality of Z-heights and the determined associativerelationship, wherein the in-vehicle systems are controlled in real-timebased on adjustment of the body portions and images captured via theimage capture device, wherein the in-vehicle electronic device controlsa vehicle audio system to direct audio output from a plurality of audiospeakers of the vehicle audio system, and wherein different audio isoutput to the second occupant as compared to the first occupant.
 15. Thevehicle of claim 14, wherein the in-vehicle electronic device controlsan angle of one or more vents of an Heating, Ventilation, and AirConditioning (HVAC) system to direct an airflow towards a particularbody portion of the plurality of body portions of the first occupant ofthe occupants, based on a second Z-height of the particular body portionof the first occupant in the determined associative relationship,wherein the HVAC system corresponds to one of the plurality ofin-vehicle systems.
 16. The vehicle of claim 14, wherein the vehicle isan autonomous, or a semi-autonomous vehicle.
 17. The vehicle of claim14, wherein the in-vehicle electronic device is further configured todetect that a driver that corresponds to one of the occupants in thevehicle is in a distressed state or a normal state, based on an analysisof a plurality of defined metrics associated with the driver.
 18. Thevehicle of claim 17, wherein the in-vehicle electronic device is furtherconfigured to activate an emergency response mode in the vehicle whenthe driver is detected in the distressed state and is unresponsive to anaudio alert generated in the vehicle.
 19. The vehicle of claim 18,wherein the in-vehicle electronic device is further configured tocommunicate an autonomous mode start signal to an engine control moduleof the vehicle to cause the vehicle to be automatically driven to auser-specified medical emergency center when the vehicle is diagnosed asokay-to-drive in the emergency response mode.